https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-march-9-2017-govt-forces-crash-isis-in-aleppo-aim-raqqah/
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Voiceover by Harold Hoover
The Syrian Army’s Tiger Forces, supported by the Syrian and Russian air forces, have continued making impressive gains against the ISIS terrorist group in the province of Aleppo.
The Tiger Forces further advanced along the Euphrates River and entered the Jirah Airbase.
Now, when the ISIS-held town of Dier Hafer is de-facto cut-off from the rest of the ISIS-held area in central Syria, its liberation will become the main short-term goal of government forces.
Experts believe that after Deir Hafer government forces will likely advance along the Deir Hafer-al-Tabaqah road, expanding the buffer zone east of Khanasser and putting additional pressure on ISIS units operating in the area of Raqqah.
The hidden Russian-US cooperation in Syria was already proven with the Manbij case when Moscow and Washington acted together in order to prevent the Turkish army and pro-Turkish militant groups from attacking Kurdish forces in the area.
There is a chance that the US and Russia will act jointly in order to retake the ISIS self-proclaimed capital of Raqqah even if this is not promoted openly in the mainstream media. If government forces reach al-Tabqa, they will isolate Raqqah from the southern flank and US-backed forces will be able to avoid the need to cut across the Euphrates River in the area. In this case, the fall of Raqqah will take place much faster then it’s expected by experts.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is preparing to expand the military force deployed to Syria. The US military is expanding the Kobani Airport runway in order to be able to receive large transport aircraft, the Basnews agency, based in the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, reported on Monday, citing a source in the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
“The source explained that “the airport runway in the past was 1,100 meters long with the width of 60 meters, and it is expected to be expanded to 1,700 meters long and 110 meters wide,” adding that a four-meter-tall wall will also be erected around the airport,” the article reads.
The Kurdish People’s Protection Units, which are the core of the SDF, have been allegedly discharged from protecting the area. The airport is now guarded by US troops.
The intensification of the operation to retake Raqqah will push Washington to increase its military presence in Syria, deploying more troops, artillery pieces and other military equipment. These forces will likely be redeployed from Iraq after the end of the anti-ISIS operation in the western part of Mosul.
What i am reading here is that there is a real possibility that in the Syrian territory will be formed an kurdish area with big autonomy, an autonomy bordering with full independence, and this kurdish territory will border with turkey!! How much I would like to see Erdogan face right now!!
I still don’t understand the purpose of the Americans intensfying there efforts this late. After liberating raqqa then what?
After liberating Raqqa, they will try to balance the power, meaning air support for ISIS on another fronts. Remember and never forget, empire’s goal is chaos and prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Add on top of that, they want Russia to get stuck in Syria for years. Anyone saying differently is kidding themselves.
Rayman,
Look at pipelines maps:
https://syrianfreepress.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/war-for-pipelines/
For option A, Qatar/SA/Corrupt West need minimum Ar Raqqa. They much would have preferred Aleppo but they need Raqqa at a minimum.
The only way to block this is to hold Palmyra and Deir ez-Zur at all costs. You will know is the battle for Syria is won or ultimately lost based on this. If Syria/Russia/Iran allow “safe zones” installed here by the west, Syria is lost.
That is it in a nutshell.
Hi the saker and southfront,
I found this piece on yahoo news (of all places) mentioning this on the syrian war and the US involvement there.
Marines arrive in Syria to provide artillery support in fight against ISIS (so far nothing special)
”The number of Marines associated with the battery and support elements number “more than several hundred,” said the official. The U.S. military is authorized to have up to 503 American troops inside Syria to advise and assist the local Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting ISIS.”
I have no idea who authorised that but it has to be done at least at white house level. It gets more interesting.
”The military official said the deployment to Syria had been long-planned, but that the final decision to send them was only made recently by military commanders at U.S. Central Command. It did not require a presidential authorization since they were already in the Middle East and the movement of troops into Syria was not associated with the proposals presented to President Donald Trump last week to accelerate the fight against ISIS.”
Very interesting. Seems to me that is was coordinated with Russia and the Syrian government as well, just as Turkey.
”The military official said the Marines will not count toward the troop cap in Syria because they are on a temporary deployment. American troops serving less than 120 days in Iraq and Syria are not counted as part of the force levels authorized by the White House for each country.”
Mmm there are few messages send this clear via the MSM. Seems to me a backroom deal that has been made is now in the early stages of being broadcasted widely. If this continues we know ISIS is toast and will be dead soon since its creators are now turning on it to do damage control I guess.
https://gma.yahoo.com/marines-arrive-syria-artillery-support-fight-against-isis-060600696–abc-news-topstories.html#
#trump, there is still hope (smile)
Regards,
Hugo
Syrian Democratic Forces Vow Offensive on Raqqa in a Few Weeks
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703091051426372-syrian-democratic-forces-raqqa-offensive/
“In addition to 500 US personnel currently stationed on the ground in Syria, including air crews, ground forces, and special ops service members, Dorrian noted that a further 400-strong deployment has been pouring in during recent days. The fresh troops consist of US Marines and Army Rangers, the US Army’s elite military formation, the colonel said.
Instead of spearheading the attack against Raqqa, US personnel will collaborate and advise local partners, including the Kurdish YPG and SDF, Dorrian said.”
I doubt the rangers are there just to “advise”, more likely these will be involved in direct command roles of kurd forces.
US Deployed Marines in Syria Without Permission of Damascus Government
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703091051421142-us-marines-syria-deployment/
“The United States deployed US marines to the Syrian city of Raqqa without the permission of the Damascus government, Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel said in a congressional hearing on Thursday.”
Is there really Russian-american cooperation against Turkey as described by this Southfront article? McAdams has serious doubts about these pindo troop deployments, and so do I.
Trump Invades Syria
http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/peace-and-prosperity/2017/march/08/trump-invades-syria/
“Although the Syrian army, with its ally Russia, has made significant gains against ISIS over the past week or so, the Washington Post is reporting tonight that President Trump has for the first time sent regular US military personnel into that country in combat positions. This is an unprecedented escalation of US involvement in the Syrian war and it comes without Congressional authorization, without UN authorization, and without the authorization of the government of Syria. In short it is three ways illegal.
According to the Post, US Marines have departed their ships in the Mediterranean and have established an outpost on Syrian soil from where they will fire artillery toward the ISIS “headquarters” of Raqqa. The Post continues:
The Marines on the ground include part of an artillery battery that can fire powerful 155-millimeter shells from M777 Howitzers, two officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deployment. The expeditionary unit’s ground force, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, will man the guns and deliver fire support for U.S.-backed local forces who are preparing an assault on the city. Additional infantrymen from the unit are likely to provide security.
On March 5th, RT ran footage of a US military convoy entering Syria near Manbij. The US mainstream media initially blacked out the story, but the Post today confirmed that the troops were from the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment in Stryker vehicles.
What is important to understand about this sudden escalation of US involvement is that if this “race to Raqqa” is won by the US military rather than by Syrian government forces, the chance that the US will hand the territory back to the Assad government is virtually nil. In other words, this is an operation far less about wiping ISIS out from eastern Syria and much more about the United States carving out eastern Syria as a permanent outpost from where it can, for example, continue the original neocon/Israeli/Saudi plan for “regime change” in Syria.
The United States is making a military bid for a very large chunk of sovereign Syrian territory. Something even Obama with his extraordinarily reckless Middle East policy would not dare to do.
How will the Russians react to this development? How will the Russians react if increased US military activity on the ground in Syria begins to threaten Russian military forces operating in Syria (with the consent of that country’s legal government)? With President Trump’s “get along with Russia” policy lying in the tatters of a Nikki Haley at the UN and a Fiona Hill at NSC Staff, how differently might the Russians see US actions in Syria than they might have only a month or so ago?
Make no mistake: this is big news. And very bad news.”
Lendman has similar misgivings about the expansion of american involvement in Syria.
Trump Raises the Stakes in Syria
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2017/03/trump-raises-stakes-in-syria.html?m=1
“His actions so far show he wants continued war, not resolution. Terror-bombing continues, targeting Syrian infrastructure, massacring civilians.
On March 8, al-Matab village was struck, killing about two dozen civilians, including women and children – the mission conducted on the phony pretext of combating terrorism America supports…
…Its deployment adds greater US firepower to the area. Its mission may be to prevent Syrian ground forces from liberating the city, aided by Russian air power.
Their presence complicates conflict resolution efforts. The same holds for Turkey’s military involvement, part of Erdogan’s scheme to annex northern Syrian territory.
Washington may redeploy ISIS fighters in Raqqa elsewhere in Syria, continuing endless war.”
Russia has, it seems, come to terms with the US on the carve-up of Syria.
It doesn’t seem to me. Assad and the Syrian government will not tolerate the country being broken up, and the Russians must support them in this, have stated their policy of Syrian sovereignty many times, and cannot afford to capitulate.
Putin to Netanyahu: Don’t judge Iran by 5th century BC, we live in a different world
https://www.rt.com/news/380061-putin-netanyahu-iran-israel-syria/
“President Putin began by wishing Prime Minister Netanyahu a happy Purim, which is a traditional Jewish holiday that marks the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, a vizier in the ancient Persian Empire.
In response, Netanyahu said Persia made “an attempt to destroy the Jewish people that did not succeed” nearly 2,500 years ago, stressing that “today there is an attempt by Persia’s heir, Iran, to destroy the state of the Jews.”
Putin noted that those events had taken place “in the fifth century BC,” added that “we now live in a different world” and suggested discussing the actual up-to-date problems in the region.”
:D
What is the difference between Putin and Netanyahu?
Putin lives in the here & now while Netanyahu is still stuck in 2,500 years old fairy tales. Oy vey!
British govt admits to secret Syria war fund but refuses to identify ‘non-extremist’ fighters
https://www.rt.com/uk/380032-syria-iraq-fighters-funding/
“Responding to questions from the Defence Committee, the government refused to identify the forces it is training in Iraq and Syria but appeared to confirm it has increased the amount of cash available for the conflict from a secretive war fund.”
In other words, the disgusting sods are training and running terrorists, just like they are doing in the ukraine.
Saker,
lots of questions a and concerns.
Colonel Lang on his sight states that Russia in order to get good relations with the USA is accepting the USA plans for Syria
If true that is truly shocking and will lead to further isolation of Russia from real alilies who stood with them through sanctions etcetc
Is Russia agreeing to the carve up of Syria?
Why are the US troops arriving?
What will this mean for the alliance with Iran?
A carved up Syria does not increase Russian security – it supports the Israel neo con plan?
Syria can’t accept their country being carved up
America is “racing to Raqqah” alright–not to really fight ISIS or other jihadists terrorism, which it has been covertly backing and arming for years.
America wants to gain control over this strategic city in order to enable it to carve out an American military protectorate in Syria and further the balkanization of the Syrian nation.
This American strategem is a desperate response to the Russia intervention in Syria and dates back to at least 2015 under Barack Obama (and now continues under Trump)
Andrew Korybko has analyzed the USA’s Race for Raqqah strategy in great detail:
The Race For Raqqa And America’s Geopolitical Revenge In “Syraq”–1
http://orientalreview.org/2015/10/14/the-race-for-raqqa-and-americas-geopolitical-revenge-in-syraq-i/
The Race For Raqqa And America’s Geopolitical Revenge In “Syraq”–2
http://orientalreview.org/2015/10/14/the-race-for-raqqa-and-americas-geopolitical-revenge-in-syraq-ii/
If Russia (tacitly) goes along with this American divide-and-conquer tactic in some delusional hope to “imrprove relations” with the USA under Trump, it will rue the day and inevitably be backstabbed by the United Snakes sooner or later.
Donald Trump is the “White Barack Obama”: Both are false political messiahs, who peddle fake “Hope and Change.”
Or as the French say, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose .
If Syria, Russia, Iran take and hold Palmyra and Deir ez-Zur and don’t allow safe zones then Raqqah will be rendered irrelevant. Western interests are not accomplished controlling Raqqah with the territory to the south of it not in their control as well.
Let them take Raqqah and send all the resources freed from this to hold Palmyra and Deir ez-Zur like Syria’s very existence depends on it. Because it does.
Journalist on rt interview says it is in the Raqqua area that “ISIS 2.0” is forming…
geeqwhiz, another coincidence! race for r indeed!
https://www.rt.com/shows/news/380260-rtnews-march-11-12msk/
Some might see the dynamics another way . If Comrade President permits Syria to be taken even in part this will undermine his entire grand policy…undermine stability of Earth Island, ie mainland of Europe-Africa-Asiatic space known as near abroad and Middle East.
Some may thus come to doubt that Comrade President will permit the fractionalisation of Syria.
But the direct removal of invading soldiers is a matter for subtle and cunning maneuver, not violence, so far as may be possible.
If Ivan says “go”, they must go – there is a dominant in theater force, and it does not report to Uncle Sam, or the 4th Reich… This “option” looks down on everything in Syria.